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“Caley Jags Together are pleased to announce that we will be running a total of ten coaches to the League Cup semi-final, carrying nearly 500 Inverness Caledonian Thistle fans to Edinburgh despite all the difficulties that we have faced. We take our hats off to each and every one of you who have chosen to travel with us. Our thanks are due to The Scottish Sun, the SPFL and to Inverness Caledonian Thistle FC for their support, but it’s nothing compared to the support that we get week in and week out from our fans. It’s been a herculean challenge, but we are nearly there and special thanks are due to the CJT board for their massive effort in this. Buses will be leaving at 07:00 from Tulloch Caledonian Stadium (6 coaches) The Caledonian Thistle Social Club (1 coach) and Inshes (Matalan car park) the lists of who is on what bus will be published here, on the CJT and Caledonian Thistle websites and by e-mail on Thursday evening. Please arrive in good time at your departure point on Sunday. All buses will proceed directly to Edinburgh, and there are a choice of pubs etc. to catch a pre-match pint, your coach CJT person will have details – we’re heading for The Iona, The Four in Hand and the Ex-Servicemen’s Club. We’re leaving it up to each coach to decide if and where they want to stop, because the toilets at Broxden are unlikely to cope with all of us at once! On the way back, we leave from Leith links. If you have any queries, call us on the travel number as soon as possible. There are still a few seats left in various coaches, but they are going quickly so book now if you haven’t already. Please note that if you have booked and don’t travel, you will still be charged. Each coach will have an exclusive Inverness Caledonian Thistle football signed by the first team squad to be raffled (and won) on the day, there will be complimentary newspapers and the usual first to score on each bus. It should be a cracking day out. I’m afraid we can’t allow alcohol on the coaches, and there is a possibility of spot checking at such a high profile game. All coaches will (at least in the event of a win) give you the option of going to the Caley Club after the game to celebrate. Let’s be loud, proud and a credit to our club on Sunday – and make some noise for the Caley Thistle boys.”

WE DONT NEED THEM

Possibly, possibly, depends whether you would exchange 1 cup run and never ever reaching the quarter final, for all the cup runs we've had including 2 semis and a replay and 12 giant killings in 11 seasons since 1994...... The other 9 years we couldn't kill any giants because we were busy playing over 300 games in the SPL. Plus if you reach a final, surely it doesn't count unless you turn up?

For the last 10 years or so under several different chairmen we have offered nothing longer than a 2 year deal to any player which we all know - with Bosman - is effectively no better than a 1 yr deal as the player is free to talk to other clubs barely 4 months into the second season of his deal. Any response was usually along the lines of longer contracts costing too much if we were relegated .... We - the fans - have constantly bitched about that strategy, so seeing the club starting to believe in itself and being confident enough to offer longer deals to those players we want to keep is a fairly significant, and positive step forward IMO. Agree Sunday's game is very important ... reaching the final would also be another step forward for ICT

If we are going to bring on a 'keeper with an unsurpassed record of saving spot kicks purely for the penalty shoot out then I suggest that we get Jimmy Calder registered pronto...

The only shoot out that I am looking forward to is the celebratory Jäger Bomb line up in central Embra on a lazy Sunday afternoon, hopefully leading to a hazy Sunday evening. That would be brill.

The Board wanted someone with experience and got a manager who has experience. He is also older and wiser than the youngsters that are now being allowed to get a chance in the first team. What's the average age of the team? Are they all seasoned professionals who might be by now in their careers also rigid and inflexible in their thinking about how the team should play? No! Our boys need encouragement, to be worked very hard to separate the wheat from the chaffe and to have someone to look up to as a role model who is clean-cut and dresses well, as any Manager of Caley Thistle should do, speaks enthusiastically in a very positive vein about them, the team's future etc. In short, POSITIVITY on all fronts. and I would follow a guy like that. He also represents the club up front to the public and visitors alike and creates a good image in this respect, I am sure, in his role as the club's prime representative. Is the alternative, a person who looks like an scruff, going to impress? This is a very important quality, chums, because the Manager is the senior extension of the Board of Directors and should reflect their values to the outside world. Stability, experience and wisdom are offered by J Hughes who actually is often quite eloquent in his speeches and apparently is a good motivator.So....? God was not available at this time for the job so he sent us a candidate with POTENTIAL who generally met the varied criteria which probably reflected the unanimous views and requirements of the Board Members. So IMHO any reasonable fan would be willing to give him the benefit of the doubt --unless you are a member of Naysayers United when apparently your agenda may be more suited to negative back- biting and destructive comments aimed at undermining the new manager's ability to get the best out of the team and with his demise would come a convenient reason to justify your negativity. David Moyes has experience and by Alex Ferguson's reckoning he was the top choice for the position of Manager of Manchester United in a situation where there were many other excellent managers available to choose from. Yet he has struggled mightily in his new position and, like John Hughes, will need time in order to be successful. Even Ferguson himself needed 5 years to establish himself and is recently on record as condemning the knee-jerk reaction of the current Owners of the teams in the Premier league who fire new Managers at the drop of a hat when immediate glory eludes their grasp. As for Richie-who says he is to be the next Manager? A lot of water will probably have to run under the bridge before he retires and nothing in life is certain. As Rabbie Burns said..."the best laid schemes of mice and men gang aft agley..". Dead right on that one Rabbie, as I know from my own personal experience. But from bad mistakes big lessons can be learned and that's how we grow in strength and, hopefully, wisdom. Richie, as far as we know, does not at his time have any significant Management experience. So why would he be considered to be the next managerial Messiah, at this stage of his carerer, for our team. He may turn out to be fantastic as a Manager but right now he is just another very good player. So, IMHO, the best bet for ICT at this time is to back John Hughes to the hilt...totally.

A group of us are meeting at the Counting House at 9am on Sunday and then getting the train from Queen St about 10 if you fancy joining us and making it a memorable journey I'll see you in the pub at 9 :-)

Come short as usual? ICT's ten year rise to the SPL. Challenged for a European all season last season despite one of (if not the smallest) wage budget in the SPL. Challenging for third again this season. In the Semi finals of a major competition for the second season in a row despite the aforementioned small wage budget. I don't like your definition of falling short!

...just like Danny Wilson last year, then! No! Hearts did nothing wrong with regards to Danny Wilson's suspension for that game. NOTHING. We know this because the SFA told the club to drop it. And ignored our more inquisitive supporters who tried to clarify the situation. Must be true in this case then. LEAVE IT!

after the last time.... Iona for me!!

I can probably guarantee drinking copious ammounts of alcohol to compensate for one bus load of passengers.

Agree with Ross here. Nothing against Tremarco and I would also agree with izzy in that he hasn't been bad for us but our strongest team I feel is one that has Shinnie at left back and Draper and Foran (likely Tansey) in midfield rather than keeping Tremarco and playing Shinnie in midfield.

Why Tremarco Ive been at every game and haven't seen him have a bad one yet ????? Quite simple really... Shinnie is a better LB than Tremarco and Tansey/Foran/Vincent etc are a better choice in CM than Shinnie.

Oh great - a return to the days of oranges injected with voddie and the irn bru bottles laced with even more voddie. I may even open a street market stand and call it Howdies Howitzers.

If Richie is even only 70% fit he needs on the bench, bringing him on for the last 10-15mins if required could change the game for us, not just he play but his leadership and drive, so I'd expect Polworth to make way.

The secret is not to be in a shoot-out situation

That's lovely, thank you. I'll be round in 6 months time after the Edinburgh stag night I'm attending. When the pebble hits your window at 3.30am, open your curtains. They guy outside wearing a traffic cone will be me. Super offer. Two sugars, please, thank you.

Whatever you think of the rather strange managerial appointment, you have to give the board great credit for being proactive and securing the bulk of the first team squad until at least the end of next season.

And who gives a feck how many tickets that we have shifted. Anybody in attendance this weekend will be witnessing a piece of club history that may well NEVER be repeated. Get yer feckin erses down to Embra and sing yer feckin lungs out.

My objective observation on all the posts is that Yogi was the best thing since sliced bread last week when we beat Aberdeen but one week/defeat later it's oh dear time again. One must laugh........

Not sure. But I'll get in early and say that in every one of our games which he has refereed this season he has made numerous glaring errors which benefited the opposition. Also, he is probably biased against Highland teams as he resents having to travel up here for the same amount of money he would have got for reffing a game in the Central Belt. It is his fault if we lose. That description seems to match Willie Collum

just to throw a spanner in the works... just heard that Foran is in line to start on Sunday!

Mahonio--gotta relax old chap. Turn the tables and crack wise against him. But don't allow him to get it that he is rattling your cage.....eh? It's only a footie website after all. And we only live once in this lifetime. Here's one that brought a twinkle into my periwinkle: Did you hear the one about the wee boy who was drawing on a piece of paper. His dad went up to him and said.." what are you drawing son?" The lad looks up and says. " I'm drawing God. "But how do you know what he looks like son, Nobody knows that?" says Dad "They will when I am finished !" replies the little guy.